Five Miami Metal Bands You Should Know About

The world is fueled by contradictions. One such contradiction is that the bright and sunny city of Miami is home to some extremely good dark and grimy music. It’s no secret that Florida witnessed the birth of many metal bands like Death, Obituary, and Morbid Angel, just to name a few. And oddly enough, the Magic City is considered one of America's premier nests of death metal. But despite the fact that the golden years of the '80s and '90s Miami metal are long gone, there are still many local acts that represent South Florida’s metal scene with an iron foot.

If you frequent Churchill’s in Miami (or Poor House in Fort Lauderdale), you've probably had your mind, hair, and/or ears blown away by the bands below.

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Many of these bands lean toward the sludge and stoner metal sounds, mixing in wild and energetic live performances. Others sound more powerful and neat on the recordings than they do live. But one thing is certain: All of them are worth your time.

Shroud Eater puts on one hell of a show.

Photo Courtesy of Shroud Eater

5. Shroud Eater

You don't forget about Shroud Eater after you've seen them live. Lead by two badass women, Jean Saiz (guitar/vocals) and Janette Valentine (bass/vocals), the loud and distorted riffs become even more dramatic when Davin Sosa’s drums are added to the mix. Entering a room where Shroud Eater is playing is a surreal experience. The lights glow red, and the atmosphere becomes dense and viscous. The power trio's live performances and the quality of its songs earned the group the privilege of opening for bands like Kylesa, High on Fire, and Iron Reagan, among others. Shroud Eater's latest release, the two-song EP Face the Master, was covered nationwide in publications such as Noisey and CVLT Nation. Shroud Eater will also be representing Miami in the Psycho Fest Las Vegas, which has a massive lineup including Alice Cooper, Sleep, Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Electric Wizard, and many more.

Bleeth was born from the ashes of Astrokats.

Photo Courtesy of Bleeth

4. Bleeth

This is another power trio that leans towards doom and sludge, but with a sharper psychedelic tendency than Shroud Eater. Bleeth is the child of former Astrokats members, guitarist Lauren Palma and bassist Ryan Rivas — plus Juan David Londono on drums. Although Bleeth is a relatively new band (formed less than two years ago) the three have played a bunch of shows in local venues, released an EP called Re-Animator, and toured the East Coast. The band is currently in the studio working on its upcoming album. Bleeth's songs revisit the classic sound of the fathers of heavy metal, Black Sabbath, and puts it in a blender with a bit of sludge and a touch of punk.

No, not the furniture store.

Photo by teajayphoto

3. Holly Hunt

For being just a two piece, Holly Hunt is damn loud. Drummer Beatriz Monteavaro and guitarist Gavin Perry have mastered the art of driving the audience into a psychedelic trance. Holly Hunt carries the local flag for doom and drone. Utilizing repetitive yet progressive melodies, they create hypnotic songs inspired by heavy, dense metal and some mild blues melodies. Hunt's discography includes some singles, a full-length, and a couple of EPs. Keep an eye out for Holly Hunt at III Points in October.

Crud is a newcomer in the Miami metal scene.

Photo by Fernanda Maura

2. Crud

Crud is the newest band on this list, with a strong personality and a dark sense of humor. The group, formed in 2015 as a two person project (bass and drums), quickly evolved into a four-piece. Its first release, an instrumental demo, saw the light in September of last year, consisting of three tracks that slammed Miami in the face with a strong and dirty dose of doom. In April of this year, Crud shared its haunting second EP, Resin. This time the band proved its ability to compose intense, heavy songs full of anger and desperation — always driven by a deep bass and straightforward drums. Crud is definitely off to a good start.

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Noisey called them "Miami mind-erasers."

Photo by Lisa Martin-Owens

1. Orbweaver

Orbweaver, defined by Noisey's metal correspondent Kim Kelly as "Miami mind-erasers," was founded in 2010. Despite many changes over the years, the current active members are now founder Randy Piro (guitars/synths/vocals), Sally Gates (guitar/visuals) and Jason Ledgard (bass). The group makes epileptic, bipolar songs that mix psychedelia, noise, and a sort of post-modern death metal. The vocals, desperate and full of anger, fluctuate with varying tempos. The band released its debut five-track EP, Strange Transmissions From the Neuralnomicon, in 2013 and, according to the magazine Metal Riot, Orbweaver will be releasing a full-length album soon, titled Hexagram 23.

Flor Frances is an Argentine journalist. She has her own online magazine called Too Much Love and a marketing agency.